USC football: Hardest part about being a freshman

So what's the biggest adjustment for a freshman college football player?

A colleague asked that of USC receiver Robert Woods the other day, and the answer might surprise you.

Of course, the game is faster. Of course, you have to study more. Of course, you have to learn to budget your time.

But the biggest adjustment? According to Woods, it's finding a comfort level among older, more established teammates.

"My freshman year," Woods said, "it was only me and Nickell (Robey) really playing. At away games, it was just me and Nickell. But then once my sophomore year came around, I had my guys I came in with on the field, and I felt more relaxed and comfortable, not just being the freshman around 21-year-olds, 22-year-olds. It was a closer mix, a closer vibe."

Woods is about as mature and well-adjusted a kid as you'll find. He came in with an all-business attitude, he excelled from the start and he's from Los Angeles. So if it was hard for him, imagine what it must be like for others.

I didn't get a chance to ask Marqise Lee that same question before writing this, but I would guess he had a slightly easier time of it because of the presence of Woods, his former high school teammate. But that's a rare case.

Overall, Woods' words are a reminder of how just how challenging it is to go from high school to college and be really good right away -- and how unique it was for Woods and Lee to do it in back-to-back years.

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